Lowenstein Sandler has announced that Rasmeet K. Chahil, Laura Cicirelli, Trevor A. Levine, Eugene Mishchenko, Michael Papandrea, Raquel Smith, and Heather Weaver have been elected to the firm partnership beginning in 2026.
“We are thrilled to welcome these fine lawyers to our growing partnership,” says Lowenstein Chair and Managing Partner Gary M. Wingens. “These elevations reflect the ongoing execution of our strategic plan. They demonstrate our commitment to strengthening our partner ranks across key practice areas and our national platform, while also recognizing the exceptional talent of the lawyers being promoted.”
New partners:
Rasmeet K. Chahil, Commercial Litigation, White Collar Defense, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Litigation (New Jersey)
Rasmeet Chahil represents clients in high-stakes commercial litigation, as well as internal investigations and white collar defense matters. She has handled trials in both state and federal court, litigates all phases of bankruptcy matters, conducts internal corporate investigations, and has successfully represented individuals and companies in government investigations, including SEC and state attorneys general matters. Chahil is the President-Elect of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey; she also serves on the boards of Partners (formally Partners for Women and Justice and the Summit Speech School.
Laura Cicirelli, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital, Startup, Emerging & Growth Companies, Venture M&A (New York/New Jersey)
Laura Cicirelli is a trusted legal and strategic advisor to startups, venture-backed companies, and investment funds, often serving as outside general counsel to clients across the technology, consumer goods, and Web3 sectors. With nearly a decade of experience navigating complex business and financing transactions, she advises founders, executive teams, and investors on a wide range of corporate matters, including entity formation, corporate governance, capital raising, equity structuring and exit strategies, delivering practical, business-oriented legal solutions that support growth and innovation at every stage of the corporate cycle.
Trevor A. Levine, Commodities, Futures & Derivatives Group, Lowenstein Crypto, FinTech (Washington, D.C.)
Trevor Levine represents financial services firms and digital asset companies navigating complex regulatory frameworks, rapid commercial growth, and government investigations. Levine has deep experience advising exchanges, intermediaries, market participants, and technology companies on issues and regulatory inquiries related to the Commodity Exchange Act, federal securities laws, FINRA rules, and state money transmission laws; he helps his clients develop and operationalize a wide range of compliant and innovative financial products and structures, including the development and launch of blockchains, corresponding cryptocurrencies, and decentralized applications.
Eugene Mishchenko, Intellectual Property, Patent Counseling & Prosecution, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (Utah)
Eugene Mishchenko’s practice focuses on the patent prosecution of modern technology in the areas of software development, nanoscience, and electrical and computing engineering. His expertise is in wireless communication technology, optimization of wireless networks, including personal area networks, and various physics-related technologies, such as imaging technology, coherent optics, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor memory devices, processor technology, artificial intelligence and cryptography. With a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, Mischenko is currently a professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah.
Michael Papandrea, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department (New Jersey)
Michael Papandrea provides counsel to debtors, creditors’ committees, individual creditors, liquidating trustees, and other interested parties with respect to corporate bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters, including bankruptcy-related litigation. A frequent author and speaker on bankruptcy, insolvency, and creditors’ rights issues, Papandrea also provides pro bono representation to individuals and nonprofit organizations regarding bankruptcy and foreclosure-related matters. He formerly clerked for the Hon. Jerrold N. Poslusny, Jr. (District of New Jersey), the Hon. Ashely M. Chan (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), and the Hon. Gloria M. Burns (Chief Judge, District of New Jersey).
Raquel Smith, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (New York)
Raquel Smith represents companies, investors, private equity sponsors, banks, and other financial institutions in a broad range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions, with a focus on debt financings and venture financings. She counsels both borrowers and lenders in debt financing transactions. Smith also advises venture-backed startups, as well as the funds that invest in them. She guides both emerging companies and established organizations based in the United States and abroad through the process of raising and distributing capital.
Heather Weaver, Insurance Recovery (New Jersey)
Heather Weaver has more than a decade of experience litigating and pursuing alternative dispute resolution for a wide range of complex insurance coverage and commercial disputes in state and federal courts. She regularly represents policyholders in high-stakes insurance litigation arising out of commercial property policies, commercial general liability policies, professional liability policies, cyber policies, crime policies, and product liability policies. She also leads litigation and insurance diligence efforts for companies across a range of industries, including manufacturers, banks, private equity firms, and asset managers.
